Read on for the inside scoop about the people and events behind the scenes at Fauquier Health System - Hospital in Northern Virginia.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Fauquier Hospital’s concierge program relies on caring volunteers

George Goletz and Peggy Blank are volunteers for Fauquier Hospital. They are part of a special program dedicated to helping patients have the best possible experience while they are in the hospital.Last summer, Fauquier Hospital Concierge and Patient Advocate Lisa Spitzer recruited a cadre of ten volunteers for a special project. Their assignment? To visit patients in the hospital and to make their stay a bit more comfortable. The volunteer concierge program was born.George Goletz said that once a week he spends a day talking with patients, listening to their stories and asking about their hospital visit. “Sometimes the patients or family members just want to talk,” he says. “That’s OK. I have the time. I can stay as long as they need me to stay. I ask them about the quality of care they are receiving or if they need anything. Sometimes they want a newspaper, sometimes they are really craving a candy bar. If they’re allowed to have one, I’ll go get their favorite kind.”Peggy Blank says that some patients don’t want company when they are not feeling well. “I understand. I play it by ear. A patient may need something – an extra blanket or a drink. I can help with that. We hope that our patients are a little happier because of our visits.”